Dr. Syed Manzoorul Islam, Professor of English , Dhaka University: The budget allocation for the education sector is inadequate. It has to be increased, even though education sector budget is based on investment, not thought. We have to get out of the ‘thought’ of education budget and into ‘investment’. Teachers’ salaries will have to be raised. If we are not able to attract meritorious students to the field of education and teaching, this field will be obstructed.
Good education is not possible without good teachers. Usually the good students are frantic to sit for the BCS exams. In order to create good teachers, an environment should be created in which students are similarly frantic to become teachers. The primary education sector should become number 1. We have to create a situation where a meritorious generation can be created from the primary level.
The government has also achieved many great things in the education sector, like creating ‘mid-day meals’. This will reduce the number of student dropouts. There is also the system of stipends. Through technical education and skill, anyone can get a job. That will in turn further improve their skills, creating a skilled workforce. We cannot create a skilled workforce through exams based on memorization. The education sector allocation in the 2018-19 budget is inadequate for creating a skilled workforce. Translated by Abrar Hussain